Brian Sweeney, a rugadh agus a thogadh ann an Comar nan Allt – baile a chaidh ainmeachadh ‘Plook on a Plinth’ dà thuras airson fìor-droch ailtireachd. Is dòcha gur e seo a chum stiùir air an tarraing aige ris na solais mòra, a’ caitheamh bliadhnaichean riochdachail an teis-mheadhan Brùidealachd na 1950an, agus an deasbad cunbhalach mu thimcheall an bòichead throm ud air-neo lèir-sgrios is mùthchadh choimhearsnachd. Ge bith dè bheachd a th’agad, tha e coltach gun tug seo spionnadh dha Brian gus drùidheachd a lorg ann an seallaidhean nach eil idir ruigsinneach do chàch.
A’ gabhail ùidh ann an coltas-ealanta bhon a’ chiad turas ionnsachaidh aige aig Colaiste Togail & Clò-bhualadh, cheumnaich Brian ann an 1990 le ceadas ann an Clò-bhualadh, Dealbhadh agus Teicneòlas. Fhad ’s a bha e a’ gabhail foghlam, thuig e gur ann an meadhan thogail dhealbhan a dh’fhaodadh e na h-amasan aige a choileanadh.
Aig an aon àm, agus ann an deagh choimeas bhon ghrèim làitheil, bha Glaschu na 1990an a’ gabhail aire air èiginn ann an cuid de sheallaidhean co-shìnte ri pearsantachd rùnach ‘Sweeney’. Bha na clubaichean làn de dh’uile-bhèistean ’s de dh’uabhas, stiùiridhean-chiùil is DJ’s, agus Brian san oisean gan glacadh uile.
“Tharraing am brew mi agus dh’innis iad dhomh gun robh mi air a bhith gun obair airson fada ro fhada. Dh’fhaighnich iad mu m’obair agus dh’innis mi dhaibh gur e draoidh a bh’unnam, cha tug siud gàire orra idir.
Dh’fhaighnich iad dhomh dè bha còrdadh rium- ‘togail dhealbhan’ ars’ mise, agus iad fhèin a’ freagairt “tha prògram a’ toiseachadh air Diluain, tha thusa gu bhith air.”
Le beachd gur dòcha gun robh barrachd an lùib saoghal nan camara, chuir Brian crìoch air HND aig Colaiste John Wheatley agus gu h-aithghearr chaidh a thaghadh mar co-chuidiche airson James Fry, a’ gearradh fhiaclan agus a’ stèidheachadh ceangalan am measg saoghal-chiùil Lunnain. Fad na bliadhnaichean trang sin chuir e crìoch air Post Grad, le cliù, bho Institiùd Ealain Lunnainn, agus rinn e ainm dha fhèin ag obair airson leithid Loaded, Melody Maker agus ID, a’ togail dealbhan airson rionnagan Hip Hop, Rock agus iomadh chleasaichean ainmeil nam measg.
Gu ruige 1998, bha Brian an dùil gluasad gu Reykjavik gus teaghlach a thogail fhad ’s a bha e ag obair mar dhealbhadair agus a’ teagasg aig Sgoil Ealain Innis Tìle. Seo far na rugadh “Turas nan Stadium”, pròiseact pearsanta bho thùs, a bha ri fàs thar na bliadhnaichean. An dèidh grunnd bhliadhnaichean a’ tadhal agus a’ teagasg aig Sgoil Ealain Oslo, rinn Brian a shlighe air ais a Ghlaschu, agus miann aige a bhith stèidhichte sa bhaile air an robh e dlùth-eòlach.
Ann an 2002, thug Adidas aire agus urras do Thuras nan Stadium. Gu h-obann bha obair Brian co-cheangailte ri faireachdainnean tiamhaidheachd dìomhair – bha Cupa na Cruinne ball-coise 2002, ann an Iapan, air aire an t-Saoghail a ghlacadh le teicneòlas agus beairteas faoin. Ann an taisbeanadh de mhòrchuis agus de chòrr, rinn sia raoin-chluiche deug a chaidh an togail fa leth, taisbeanadh smachdail de threuntas ionmhais.
An coimeas ri seo, bha urram mòr aig Brian dha na sgiobaidhean ionadail. Ag obair làn-ùine, a’ trèanadh cho tric ’s a bha cothrom, pìosan orains aig leth-ùine, an sgioba anns an do chluich d’ athair – geama a tha stèidhichte air coimhearsnachd seach a bhith gad chosgadh a-mach à bhith an sàs.
Le ùmhlachd sheòlta, dh’aithnich Brian am buidhre neo-chiontach – na gabh dragh mun amaideas, seo an rud as cudromaiche.
A’ giùlan dreuchd a tha air maireadh 30 bliadhna, còig mòr-thìrean, bho gnothachais mòra eadar-nàiseanta gu àirde hipster latha an-diugh, gu dearbha fhèin cho cinnteach ’s a tha a’ ghrian agus a’ ghealach, ma thachair e, tha dearbh cinnt ann gum bi dealbh aig Sweeney dheth.
Brian Sweeney, born and raised in Cumbernauld – a town twice awarded ‘Plook on a Plinth’ for terrible architecture. Perhaps this aligned his bright light attraction, formative years spent surrounded by 1950’s brutalism and constant debate over its crushing beauty or overwhelmingly dystopian suppression. Whichever side you take, it would appear to have afforded Brian an eye to finding enchantment in scenes others can’t conceptualise, let alone capture.
Committed to aesthetics from his first term of study at the College of Building & Printing, Brian graduated in 1990 in Print, Design & Technology. Through out his education he began to realise that photography was the medium which allowed him to achieve his desired ends.
Simultaneously and yet in great distinction to the daily grind, 1990’s Glasgow was witnessing the emergency of some notable scenes in parallel to the enigmatic ‘Sweeney’. Clubs were full of monsters and madness, pioneering musicians and DJ’s, Brian in the corner capturing it all.
“The brew pulled me up and told me I’d be unemployed for too long. They asked what I did, I said I was a magician which they didn’t find it funny. They asked me what I liked ‘I like photography’ to which they said ‘there’s a program starting on Monday, you’re on it.”
Realising there might be more to the camera game, Brian completed an HND at John Wheatley College and was quickly plucked to assist James Fry, cutting his teeth and making connections throughout a fast paced London music scene. Throughout these hectic years he completed a Post Grad, with distinction, from The London Institute of Arts, and built a life working for the likes of Loaded, Melody Maker and ID, shooting Hip Hop, Rock and movie stars alike.
By 1998, Brian was planning a move to Reykjavik to raise a young family whilst working as a Photographer and teaching at the Iceland School of Art. Here, ‘The Stadiums Tour’ was inadvertently born, beginning as a personal project that was soon to launch its own trajectory. After spending a few years as a visiting lecturer at Oslo School or Art, Brain made his way back to Glasgow to settle back in to the city he knew.
In 2002 the aforementioned Stadiums Tour was picked up and commissioned by Adidas.
Brian’s work was suddenly synonymous with an innate feeling of private poignancy – the 2002 football World Cup, hosted by Japan, had the world engrossed in technology and flippant wealth. A display of grandeur and excess, 16 new and purpose built stadiums announced a domineering display of financial prowess.
In stark contrast to this was something Brian has deep reverence of, the local teams. Full time jobs, squeezing in sessions, orange segments at half time, the team your da played in – a game that builds community rather than prices you out of their stadium.
With quiet reverence Brian discovered something innocently deafening – ignore the nonsense, this is what matters.
A career that’s spanned 30 years, five continents from large scale multinationals to the height of hipster, it’s fair to say that, if it happened, Sweeney probably has a photo of it.